Although Bartley has not made any appearances for Arsenal in the Premier League, he has completed successful loans with Sheffield United and former SPL Champions Rangers in recent years. In the report with soccernews.com, Bartley is quoted as stating that Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, told him during a brief conversation that his game-time with the club would be at a minimum for the upcoming season.

Arsenal's loss could be Swansea's gain. With a reported transfer fee in the region of £1 million, Bartley's signing represents a low-risk-high-reward capture for manager Michael Laudrup. Bartley is a tall, physically strong central defender who will be expected to pick up where last season's loan player from Tottenham, Steven Caulker, left off in providing a strong physical presence in the heart of the Swansea defense.

While Bartley's departure will not hit Arsenal as deeply as the loss of Robin Van Persie, a club like Arsenal who invest heavily in their youth development won't be happy about losing a promising youngster, especially in light of the large amount of defensive injuries suffered last season. You can't fault the youngster, however, for seeking regular football to help aid his development.